But in fact, the nightmare story is true. “Scientists did not believe that a fungal pathogen could (affect) hundreds of species. “Honestly, before it happened, I didn’t believe it,” he said. Vance Vredenburg, biology professor at San Francisco State University But in fact, the nightmare story is true.ĭr. Scientists did not believe that a fungal pathogen could (affect) hundreds of species. He recalled visiting the Sierra Nevada between 20, where he witnessed a particularly brutal outbreak and “watched thousands of frogs die in front of my eyes due to this disease.” He began studying the pathogen in the late 1990s, tracking Bd across the world and watching its deadly impact. Understanding Bd and how it spreads has been a major focus of Vredenburg’s career. About 41% of amphibians are currently in danger, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. The disease has been a major contributor to the threat of extinction facing amphibian species worldwide. “There could be hundreds of species (in Africa) that could be imperiled by this pathogen,” said Vredenburg, coauthor of a new study published March 15 in Frontiers in Conservation Science that reveals the pervasiveness of chytridiomycosis in Africa for the first time.įor amphibians, the disease is making the Black Death that devastated Europe in the Middle Ages “look like a drop in the bucket,” Vredenburg said.Ĭhytridiomycosis is caused by a pathogen called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, or Bd for short. Vance Vredenburg, a professor of biology at San Francisco State University and a research associate at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California, Berkeley. The disease may be killing off animals in hordes without scientists realizing, warned Dr. The ailment has already decimated amphibian populations in the Americas, Australia and parts of Europe, and the latest research has shown it may now be making its way across Africa. Mexican Wolf Interagency Field TeamĪfter almost going extinct, endangered Mexican wolf species is making a US comeback, officials say Thanks to conservation efforts and a robust reintroduction program, the Mexican wolf population has surpassed 200 for the first time in decades.
A sedated Mexican wolf is carried from a helicopter to a team of staff who will conduct a health check and attach a collar to the wolf before releasing it back into the wild.
0 kommentar(er)
